


boiling point

by isloremipsumafterall (orphan_account)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-11-17
Packaged: 2018-02-25 19:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2632865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>for the prompt: Skimmons coffee shop AU where Jemma and Skye work at the shop together, and one day Skye kisses Jemma out of the blue. Jemma gets flustered and uncomfortable and Skye agrees to never kiss her again, but then Jemma gets jealous when Skye flirts with people who come into the shop</p>
            </blockquote>





	boiling point

“I think I’ve officially become at least 85% coffee beans.” Skye runs her fingers through her hair and makes a face when some more ground coffee comes out.

“That’s really impossible Skye. Have I said that I’m sorry?” Jemma offers her a smile, reaching out to pluck some more out that she can still see even though in the dim light of the shop it’s hard to notice it with Skye’s dark brown hair.

“A few times. Don’t worry about it. I’ve always wanted to have ground coffee spilled on me, heard it’s all the rage these days.”

The two of them had just been closing up and Jemma had been cleaning the back storage room when Skye had come in and she’d knocked a container of the ground beans onto her. It meant the two of them were staying around even longer than they normally would but it was thankfully Friday so Jemma didn’t have classes the next day.

“I think the rest of it has to be dealt with in the shower.” Skye’s holding a strand of hair in front of her and frowning at it, flipping it back with a sigh and looking down at the floor. “I’ll get the broom and you wanna finish clearing the front?”

Jemma nods, apologizing again and rushes to the front to finish closing so they can at least finally go home and Skye can get cleaned up.

“Hey do you need a ride tonight?” Skye yells from the back, sometimes she gives Jemma a ride on the way to her own place, she has for as long as the two of them started working this place together a few years ago as a side job to make cash.

“Yes, please, thank you!” She’s really going to have to get her coworker/friend something for Christmas as a thank you, it’s September though, she has time. “I really do appreciate you doing this, Skye.”

She turns around to let Skye know that she’s finished and nearly jumps when she sees Skye standing right there.

“Skye?” She blinks because Skye is just staring at her, biting her lip and fidgeting a little. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, just…was thinking. That’s all. We should go.” She grabs her coat and edges towards the door.

“Okay…” She’s left wondering what that was all about, following Skye out and locking up.

~~

The next week she ducks a few shifts due to her homework, college classes demanding a lot more of her but Friday rolls around with just her and Skye closing up again.

“…so then Fitz and I discovered that the chemical reaction actually was far more explosive than originally thought and-” The middle of her story gets caught off, there’s a sudden pressure against her lips and hands on her shoulder, the smell of lavender mixed with coffee tickles her nose and her eyes widen as Skye kisses her.

“What are you doing?!” She hisses, pulling back, shoving Skye away from her. She can see the panic and hurt that flickers across Skye’s face.

“I…” Skye runs her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Jemma, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Obviously not.” She says tartly, squirming in discomfort at the situation, merely thinking back to moments ago and Skye’s lips against hers has heat rising to her cheeks.

Skye’s shoulders slump in defeat. “I’ve just liked you. A lot. And this was the worst possible way I could have shown you but I was afraid if I didn’t then I’d chicken out and eventually I know you’re going to move on to this job and do great…science-y things that I won’t ever understand and…”

Skye let’s out a harsh breath, looking up to meet Jemma’s eyes.

“I promise I’ll never do anything like that again.”

Jemma knows she’s sincere, despite all the uncomfortableness in the room right now, air tense and practically palpable between them, she can still see that Skye means every word. It can be dropped and never thought of again.

She can ask to get a new shift, or find a new job, or…

Skye seems to know what she’s thinking, shoulders falling again.

“It’s fine.” It’s not but she has to do something to break this thing between them now, tucking a strand of hair back and fingers tapping nervously against her leg when her hand falls again. “Just so long as you promise never to do it again.”

“I won’t.” Skye insists, hands flying through the air to punctuate her point, head bobbing up and down as she nods furiously, “Never again.”

“Good.” Jemma licks her lips which have suddenly gone dry and pretends not to notice how Skye’s gaze drops at that, following her movements and then wincing as she catches herself doing it, looking away quickly. “I…could still use that ride home if you’re offering.”

Skye brightens at that. “Yes, one ride home, coming up.”

She darts to the back to grab her keys and comes back, holding her jacket and shifting slightly.

“Hey Jemma?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks, for letting it go. You’re a great friend and I don’t want to lose that.” Skye smiles at her, small and unsure.

It’s the reason why she’s letting it go, because Skye is her friend, both at work and outside of it when they’ve gone to catch the occasional movie together. She rocks back on her feet and tucks the strand of hair that’s fallen in her eyes again.

“Yes. It’s…you’re a good friend too Skye. Shall we?” They walk out, footsteps slightly faltering when they brush up too close against each other and Jemma’s heart sinks, hoping they can get their old rhythm back soon.

~~

True to word the next day it’s like nothing’s ever happened, Skye still knocks into her to whisper about something ridiculous someone’s said and it takes until afternoon but Jemma finally relaxes and starts smiling back genuinely again.

By Sunday she’s even already stopped slightly shifting away when they’re stuck together in close quarters behind the counter. Skye claps her on the shoulder when it’s quitting time and smiles brightly, looking happy that they’re back to normal so soon.

“Man Coulson is not going to be happy, Sunday’s generally I big day for customers but we hardly got any.” Skye comments as they clean up. “There some big even going on we don’t know about.”

“I think it’s the first college game of some sort.” Jemma says, wrinkling her nose when she steps on an uneaten scone that some kid dropped on the floor that she hadn’t noticed.

“Makes sense.” Skye shrugs, “At least it wasn’t a total waste, check it out.”

She waves a slip of paper in front of Jemma, numbers scrawled across it.

“I’ve got a date next week. That girl that kept signalling me over for coffee left it, just texted her on my break.”

Jemma blinks. “That’s…great Skye.”

Skye frowns at her reaction. “I mean, I know I just kissed you a few days ago and this seems fickle and it’s not like you’re easy to get over or whatever but getting right back on the horse right? Is it too soon to joke about this?”

Jemma has to hide her amused smile behind her hand, it’s nice that Skye would still take the time to reassure her. “I think its great Skye. Getting right back out there is a perfectly good idea.”

Skye beams at her in response.

~~

She’s regretting those words by the time three weeks later rolls around.

She never really noticed how much of her shift sped by with Skye’s easy words and joking around her until Skye’s too busy flirting with one of the customers during her break and not poking at Jemma to help her with her homework for an online class she’s taking that she’s scrambling to finish before the weekend’s over.

Jemma blows the hair out of her eyes in frustration when she sees Skye lean in across the table, flicking her hair back in a well-practiced move and laughing so loud it fills the coffee shop. She completely messes up the order of the customer she’s trying to take, apologizing profusely at the mess up and giving them a free cookie as an apology.

It’s the second time today that Skye’s been flirting with a customer, before her break she wrote her number on a cup that she gave to one of their regulars.

Her teeth grind as the other woman across the table from Skye returns her laugh and places a hand on Skye’s arm. The coffee pot in her hand is nearly slammed back down onto its hot plate.

It’s just that it’s interfering with their work is all, it’s unprofessional and of course Skye is free to flirt with people on her own time and she is on break but-

The inside of her cheek hurts when she bites it so she doesn’t snap at the next customer.

Clean up is a bit stilted what with Jemma not talking and Skye blissfully going on about her day, it stops when she hoists herself up on the counter, legs swinging and tilts her head at Jemma.

“Hey, you okay? You’ve been…kinda glarey all day.”

“Fine. Just a test that I’m stressed out about this week.” She lies.

“Bummer, well, you’ll do awesome at it. You always do, with your mad super smart brain.” Skye taps her head when she steps close enough and Jemma can’t help but smile.

“So you ready for next weekend?” Skye goes on. Next weekend is Halloween, since the two of them have always booked the weekend off they usually tend to spend it together at the old theatre that plays black and white horror films.

Jemma glances up at her, knocking the hand still poking her head away, “I thought that girl asked you out for next weekend.”

“She did. But next weekend’s our weekend. Come on, I wasn’t about to bail.” Skye suddenly looks crushed. “Unless you wanted me to…”

“No. No. Of course not. Our weekend.” Jemma grins at her because it sounds very right.

“Awesome,” Skye jumps off the counter, swinging an arm around her to lead them out the door. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

~~

The theatre is packed like always but she and Skye have gotten there early enough that they have good seats, pressed up against each other with a popcorn bucket between them and giggling when they can see the strings of the old effects in the movie and the over acting at points.

It’s a good break from both school and the coffee shop, she might have been lying about the test but midterms were just a thing and Jemma’s relieved to have this break.

“Hey,” Skye nudges her and gestures over a few rows down to them. “That’s the girl who asked me out at the shop, what do you think, should I go for it.”

She wants to say no. There’s no reason to but she wants to say no.

“Go for it.” She says instead, with a weak smile that falls the second Skye turns away.

There’s a pit that’s growing inside her and she has no idea where it’s come from but it’s gnawing at her and making her feel cold and empty as Skye shuffles out of the aisle during the movie breaks and goes to talk to the girl, throwing Jemma a wink.

Suddenly the buttery popcorn loses its taste in her mouth and she’s yearning for the coffee shop, where they’d be closing down right now and blissfully just the two of them.

~~

When Skye kisses the other girl who’s name Jemma still hasn’t memorized, declaring she has better things to learn, in front of Jemma at the counter Jemma swears she sees a flash of red.

The only condolence she gets is when Skye tells her that that’s it and they’re not going to be seeing each other again.

“It was just for fun.” Skye shrugs as she slips on her apron, Jemma feels a huge amount of relief soothing down her metaphorically ruffled feathers from this morning, “No big deal.”

There’s a brief moment when Skye reaches around to grab her pad to write down orders, getting right into Jemma’s space and so close that she can see the different specks of brown that shine in Skye’s eyes from the light streaming in from the window, that she dizzily thinks if she leaned in just then she could be kissing Skye, soft lips against her own and the warmth of Skye’s mouth drawing her in but it passes when Skye pulls back.

She’s amazingly disappointed.

The realization hits her like a ton and she sucks in a quick breath, heart racing as everything the past few week’s clicks into place.

Skye glances over at her with concern but once she sees Jemma’s find, just standing stock still her attention is taken by a customer again. One she leans over the counter for and looks up at with a bright smile that Jemma now knows is her flirtatious smile.

It was once the smile meant only for her.

The whole day she feels like crying.

~~

The whole week she mopes around, gets the occasional text from Skye asking if she’s okay since she seemed off last weekend and her heart skips a beat knowing that Skye still at least cares.

They’re friends and she set the boundaries. Now she has to honour them.

Still doesn’t make it easier when she and Skye link arms as they walk out the door, laughing over customers together, or when she can see the pink of Skye’s tongue sticking out as she tries to concentrate on her homework only to give up with a pout and call Jemma’s name, or when Skye starts setting up mistletoe now that Christmas is just around the corner.

“Skye it’s November.”

Skye shrugs in response, still putting up the mistletoe at the employee doorway now that it’s closing time. “Close enough.”

“November isn’t close enough, we don’t need customers coming in and complaining about mistletoe right now. Or kissing.”

“Oh come on, it’s the season of love.” Skye waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Jemma rolls her eyes in response. “I think you’ll find that’s February.”

“Close enough.”

“Skye.” She ducks around so as not to get caught under it with Skye, knowing that the other woman would just pout and pout until she got the kiss.

“It’s just the employee section anyway. It’ll be fine.” Skye comments as she slips by, stepping back for Jemma.

When Jemma does get back though Skye’s standing directly under the newly put up mistletoe, grinning at it and looking proud. She catches Jemma’s eyes and the edges of her own crinkle in amusement, throwing her hands up to gesture at the mistletoe.

“Yes it’s very exciting.” Jemma laughs, playing along with Skye’s fun for a bit.

“You think I can put it at the cashier desk and get a kiss from the cute customers…” Skye muses suddenly and it breaks Jemma’s good mood.

It’s what also makes her take a step forward, crowding under the mistletoe with Skye and leaning in to kiss her.

At the very least she can pass this off as a joke if need be, but Skye’s lips are warm against hers, slightly chapped from the colder weather they’ve been having.

When she pulls back Skye is looking at her with wide eyes and she clears her throat, “Now you’ve got your Christmas kiss, you don’t need any from the customers.”

She’s still holding onto Skye’s shoulders, thumbs unconsciously stroking up and down and Skye glances at her hands quickly before back up to Jemma.

“Whoa, Jemma, what was that?”

“I…a kiss.” Jemma hesitates, “There was mistletoe.”

“Well yeah, but I promised not to kiss you again!”

“Oh.” Of course. “I’m sorry Skye, I just thought since there was mistletoe and our kiss hadn’t been unpleasant…”

“Unpleasant? Jemma you told me never to do it again.”

“You took me by surprise!”

“And I’ve been so careful at not looking at you and flirting with other people to try to get rid of thoughts of you and definitely not kiss you again.” Skye continued on and then stopped. “Wait. So if I didn’t take you by surprise then you’d have been okay with it?”

Jemma’s too busy processing Skye’s words. “You still like me?”

“Of course I still like you.”

“I’m not sure about then but now I certainly would be more than okay with it.”

They stare at each other for a second, taking in what the others saying and then they start laughing, falling against each other and holding onto the doorway for support.

When they catch their breaths Jemma beams at Skye, leaning in and kissing her slowly, hand cupping her cheek; she pulls back still smiling. “No more flirting with customers, if you don’t mind.”

Skye whoops in laughter again, “You were jealous?”

“Was not.”

“Were too.”

“You kept leaning into her space. Everyone’s space. And you went out with that girl.”

“Well yeah, cause I was trying to get over you.” Skye reaches up to tuck that strand of hair back that always falls in front of her eyes, smiling softly, “It was not an easy thing believe me, as evidenced by my still wanting to kiss you.”

“You can. Now.” Jemma flushes. “I’m rescinding the ‘never again’ rule.”

“What changed your mind?” Skye looks at her curiously.

“I missed you.” She admits, tangling her fingers with Skye when her hands brush by her own, looking down at their now clasped hands between them. “You were off flirting with customers and I missed our talks and our everything. I kept thinking that they might go away soon, you might be going away soon and I just- Skye… I don’t want that.”

Skye’s forehead hits her own lightly, a gentle thump and she’s looking right into Skye’s eyes, warm with affection as they are.

“I don’t either. That’s what I was scared about when I kissed you.”

Jemma huffs with quiet laughter. “Quite the pair we make.”

“Well we got here in the end didn’t we?” Skye teases.

“Yes. We did.” Jemma tilts her head and kisses Skye in the middle of the doorway, under the mistletoe with the heavy scent of coffee and baked goods around them; happy that they got there.


End file.
